Tabeer (album) explained

Tabeer
Type:Studio album
Artist:Shafqat Amanat Ali
Cover:Album Tabeer Cover.jpeg
Released:September 2008
Recorded:Karachi, Pakistan
Studio:Couple of Good Studios
Genre:Pop, Sufi, Devotional, Folk
Length:42:45
Label:Music Today, Fire Records
Producer:Shani (Zeeshan) Haider
Prev Title:Saagar
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:Kyun Dooriyan
Next Year:2010

Tabeer (;) is the debut solo studio album by Pakistani classical and pop singer, songwriter, and composer Shafqat Amanat Ali, released in India on September 9, 2008[1] [2] by the Music Today label.[3] [4] [5] [6]

Background

After leaving the band Fuzön in 2006,[7] Ali chose to focus on his solo career as a vocalist. Based on traditional folk and Sufi works, his first solo album Tabeer was commissioned and released in India in September 2008 by the Music Today label. The album was also released in Pakistan by the Fire Records label as their mega Eid release. Rohail Hyatt, the co-creator of Coke Studio, was initially roped in to produce Tabeer but was not ultimately able to work on it.[8]

Tabeer amassed significant critical acclaim[9] [10] [11] in both India and Pakistan and received praise for mixing "the earthy with the refined."[12] Ali garnered praise for his "powerful vocals," his "command over the classical idiom and modern music,[13] and for blending catchy pop melodies with folk vocals.[14] [15]

Music and style

Rolling Stone (India) described Ali’s vocal stylings in Tabeer as "cull[ing] from Pakistan’s inherent Sufiana (mystical) traces and his traditional Patiala Gharana heritage," while Billboard magazine characterized the album as a modern reworking of "traditional Sufi poetry." Ali described the album as having "soulful music with some Sufi elements." He stated that Tabeer was "a very personal piece of work" for him[16] and that the album was about establishing his own distinct identity as a vocalist: "these were the songs that I always thought I'd do someday, and when I was approached by the Indian record label Music Today, I thought I'd sing those songs." He further shared that his goal with Tabeer was to experiment "with the contemporary way of music, a mix of earthy and traditional tones, to give music lovers something fresh."[17]

Recording and production

Tabeer was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Shani (Zeeshan) Haider at Couple of Good Studios in Karachi, Pakistan. Rolling Stone (India) characterized Tabeer as having "compellingly softer tones,"[18] which was a marked departure from Ali's previous work with Fuzön in Saagar.[19] Ali remarked that he enjoyed having a greater degree of creative control and artistic freedom while working on Tabeer as a solo artiste, compared to working on Saagar with Fuzön, stating: "with Fuzön, we had to use a fixed set of instruments even when they were not needed for a song. On this album, I had the freedom to incorporate only those instruments that are needed." Tabeer features guitar work by Imran Muhammad Akhoond and flute work by Sajid Ali.[20]

Although Tabeer was designed to cater to Indian musical sensibilities and was also released first in India,[21] Ali asserted in an interview that he was determined to record and produce the album in Pakistan "because Pakistani musicians and recordings [have] their own distinct sound," which he wanted to highlight in the album, while also trying to avoid the Bollywood music mold. Ali has mentioned that he ended up excluding some of the songs he originally wrote and composed for Tabeer because they were thematically "very dark" and he did not deem them commercially viable at the time.

Composition and songwriting

Ali worked on developing tracks for Tabeer for a period of about ten months and mentioned: "I like to compose using ragas because that is my base and my foundation."[13] Referring to his songwriting process for the album, he noted: "the music I make doesn't have rock tones anymore. I like sounds that relate to humanity, like Sufi music." Accordingly, several songs in the album have noticeably spiritual and devotional overtones.[22]

"Khaireyan De Naal" was the lead single and opening track on Tabeer[23] and was used heavily to promote the album across music channels in both India and Pakistan. Ali borrowed the primary chorus line of the song from Tufail Niazi's folk song of the same name and wrote and composed the song around it. The song tells the story of the tragic romance of Heer Ranjha,[24] a Punjabi folktale written in 1766 by the poet Waris Shah.[25] Ali received significant critical acclaim for "Khaireyan De Naal"[11] [24] [26] and has mentioned that it is his favorite track in the album.[27] He also composed and sang a version of this song for the soundtrack of the 2015 Hindi movie, Tevar.[28] [29]

The album has strong Sufi overtones and features five Sufi tracks – "Rang Le," "Bulleh Shah," "Dum Ali Ali Dum," "Rohi," and "Pagalpan":

The song "Kartar," set in raga Darbari, is based on a time-honored Patiala Gharana bandish, originally sung by Ali's father Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and uncle Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan.[38] Ali described the track as an "old traditional family song" and has shared that he extended the sthayi of the original bandish to develop it into a song. In 2009, Ali delivered a live performance of "Ajab Khail" — a modified rendition of "Kartar" — for Season 2 of Coke Studio Pakistan, produced by Rohail Hyatt.[39] "Kartar" is particularly noted for its rock riffs and high-octane orchestration, and it was featured again as a bonus track in Ali's second solo album, Kyun Dooriyan (2010), with a slightly different arrangement.

Track listing

Most tracks are written, composed, and arranged by Shafqat Amanat Ali. "Naina" is composed by Shani (Zeeshan) Haider. "Rohi" is written by Khwaja Ghulam Farid. The track "Tu Hi Tu Hai" was initially released as part of Zubeen Garg's debut (compilation) album, Zindagi,[40] [41] in 2007 but was later re-released as part of Tabeer with a modified arrangement.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2008. Tabeer by Shafqat Amanat Ali. Feb 8, 2022. music.apple.com.
  2. Web site: 2008. Tabeer Shafqat Amanat Ali. Feb 8, 2022. gaana.com.
  3. Web site: September 23, 2008 . Kevin . Lobo . Parting shots. 2021-08-30. Mumbai Mirror. en.
  4. Web site: Sabeeh. Maheen. The Second Coming of Shafqat. 2021-08-30. INSTEP Magazine.
  5. Web site: 2012-06-14. Pak singer Shafqat launches new album in India news.outlookindia.com. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20120614062256/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=611896. 2012-06-14.
  6. Web site: Shafqat Amanat Ali - 'With Tabeer, my dream of making my own album with some soulful music comes true!'. 2021-08-30. www.radioandmusic.com. en.
  7. Web site: I didn't get my due: Shafqat Amanat Ali - Times of India. 2021-12-30. The Times of India. en.
  8. Web site: Syed. Madeeha. 2008-10-11. First Person: Creating his own legacy?. 2021-08-30. Dawn.com. en.
  9. News: Borthakur. Ahir Bhairab. July 31, 2010. Khan Do. 122. 31. Billboard Magazine. 26. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Dec 29, 2021.
  10. Web site: 2008-10-18. ALBUM REVIEW: On the right track. Jan 18, 2022. DAWN.COM. en.
  11. Web site: Sep 12, 2008. Tabeer: Shafqat Excels. 2021-12-27. Bangalore Mirror. en.
  12. Web site: Nov 1, 2008 . Chords and notes . 2022-01-21 . hindu.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20120123023928/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/11/01/stories/2008110150330100.htm . 23 January 2012 . dead.
  13. Web site: Ranjit. S. Sahaya. September 22, 2008. Music — Notes of Ecstasy. Dec 29, 2021. India Today.
  14. Web site: Ferreira. Verus. Sep 9, 2013. Tabeer – Shafqat Amanat Ali (Music Today). 2022-02-18. musicunplugged.in. en.
  15. Web site: Siddiqui. Nadir. 2008-11-08. Tried and Tested. 2022-02-18. newslinemagazine.com. en.
  16. Web site: 2010-04-10. Looking for Attention -. 2021-11-02. Rolling Stone India. en-US.
  17. Web site: 2012-06-14. Pak singer Shafqat launches new album in India news.outlookindia.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120614062256/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=611896. 2012-06-14. 2021-08-30.
  18. Web site: 2008-11-10. Restoring Dreams -. 2021-12-21. Rolling Stone India. en-US.
  19. Web site: Hotstepper of the week - Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan. 2021-12-25. INSTEP Magazine.
  20. Web site: Sabeeh. Maheen. July 20, 2008. The big five. 2022-01-21. jang.com.pk.
  21. Web site: Country music - Indian Express. 2021-12-22. archive.indianexpress.com.
  22. Web site: Baig. Amina. Kyun Dooriyan: A musical tale. 2021-12-25. INSTEP Magazine.
  23. Web site: Celebrity playlist. 2021-12-26. INSTEP Magazine.
  24. Web site: 2012-08-14. Shafqat Amanat Ali disappoints with Raaz 3. 2021-12-26. The Express Tribune. en.
  25. Web site: The Love Story of Hir and Ranjha. 2021-12-26. unesdoc.unesco.org. 32.
  26. Web site: Sutar. Chirag. Tabeer. 2021-12-26. www.radioandmusic.com. en.
  27. Web site: 2008-09-22. 'I can connect to God through Sufi'. 2021-12-26. Hindustan Times. en.
  28. Web site: Music Review: Tevar - Times of India. 2021-12-26. The Times of India. en.
  29. Web site: Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan: I don't worry if my song doesn't catch on - Times of India. 2021-12-26. The Times of India. en.
  30. Web site: Sufism - Symbolism in Sufism Britannica. 2021-12-15. www.britannica.com. en.
  31. Web site: Thombare. Suparna. Nov 19, 2013. 'Singing in India has its charm'. 2021-12-30. DNA India. en.
  32. Web site: Pakistan's Sufis Preach Faith and Ecstasy. 2021-12-20. Smithsonian Magazine. en.
  33. Web site: Sharjeel. Shahzad. 2019-12-06. The myriad interpretations of Sufi anthem 'Mast Qalandar'. 2021-10-18. Deccan Chronicle. en.
  34. Web site: 2022 . Kaafi of Khwaja Ghulam Farid . 2022-05-04 . Sufinama . Rekhta Foundation . en.
  35. Web site: Abbas . Nazar . December 2, 2017 . Khwaja Ghulam Fareed's message of peace & love still echoes in Rohi . 2022-05-04 . pakvoices.pk . en-US.
  36. Web site: Mahmood . Parvez . October 15, 2021 . Poet Of The Desert: Khwaja Ghulam Farid . 2022-05-04 . The Friday Times . en-US.
  37. Web site: The Paths to God in Sufism. 2021-12-26. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society. en-GB.
  38. Web site: Feb 27, 2010. Shafqat Amanat Ali's 'Kyon Dooriyan' finally out. 2022-01-23. radioandmusic.com. en.
  39. Web site: 2010. Coke Studio Sessions: Season 2. Jan 23, 2022. music.apple.com.
  40. Web site: 2007. Zindagi by Various Artists. Feb 18, 2022. jiosaavn.com.
  41. Web site: 2014. Zindagi Zubeen Garg. Feb 18, 2022. gaana.com.

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